Английский язык с У. С. Моэмом. На окраине империи. Рассказы
Шрифт:
"I can’t say as I have (не могу сказать, чтоб читал)," said the captain.
whimsical [`wImzik(q)l], ancient [`eInS(q)nt], oar [L]
The Swede shook his head.
"You know how one sometimes has the feeling that a place one has never been to before is strangely familiar. That’s how I seem to see you." He gave a whimsical smile. "Perhaps I knew you in some past existence. Perhaps, perhaps you were the master of a galley in ancient Rome and I was a slave at the oar. Thirty years have you been here?"
"Every bit of thirty years."
"I wonder if you knew a man called Red?"
"Red?"
"That is the only name I’ve ever known him by. I never knew him personally. I never even set eyes on him. And yet I seem to see him more clearly than many men, my brothers, for instance, with whom I passed my daily life for many years. He lives in my imagination with the distinctness of a Paolo Malatesta or a Romeo. But I daresay you have never read Dante or Shakespeare?"
"I can’t say as I have," said the captain.
Neilson, smoking a cigar, leaned back in his chair (Нилсон,
"It appears that Red was the most comely thing you ever saw (похоже, что Рыжий был самым привлекательным существом из когда-либо виденных; to appear— появляться; казаться). I’ve talked to quite a number of people who knew him in those days (я разговаривал со многими людьми, которые знали его в те дни), white men (с белыми), and they all agree that the first time you saw him (и все они сходятся в одном, что в первый раз, /как/ увидишь его) his beauty just took your breath away (его красота просто поражает: «отбирает твое дыхание»). They called him Red on account of his flaming hair (они называли его Рыжим из-за его огненных волос). It had a natural wave (они вились от природы) and he wore it long (и были: «и он носил их» длинными). It must have been of that wonderful colour (они, должно быть, были того удивительного цвета) that the pre-Raphaelites raved over (которым /так/ восторгались прерафаэлиты). I don’t think he was vain of it (я не думаю, что он тешил этим свое самолюбие; vain— тщеславный; самодовольный), he was much too ingenuous for that (он был уж слишком простодушен для этого), but no one could have blamed him if he had been (но никто и не смог бы осудить его, если б он и делал это). He was tall, six feet and an inch or two (он был высоким, шесть футов и один-два дюйма) — in the native house that used to stand here (в туземном жилище, которое раньше находилось: «стояло» здесь) was the mark of his height (была отметка его роста) cut with a knife on the central trunk that supported the roof (вырезанная ножом на центральном столбе: «стволе», который поддерживал крышу) — and he was made like a Greek god (и он был сложен: «сделан» как греческий бог), broad in the shoulders and thin in the flanks (широкий в плечах и с узкими бедрами: «худой по бокам»); he was like Apollo (он был словно Аполлон), with just that soft roundness which Praxiteles gave him (с той самой мягкой округлостью, которую Пракситель придал ему), and that suave, feminine grace (и той приятной, женственной грацией; suave— обходительный) which has in it something troubling and mysterious (в которой есть что-то волнующее и таинственное). His skin was dazzling white (его кожа была ослепительно белой), milky (молочной), like satin (шелковистой: «словно атлас»); his skin was like a woman’s (его кожа была как у женщины)."
appear [q`pIq], comely [`kAmlI], suave [swRv]
Neilson, smoking a cigar, leaned back in his chair and looked vacantly at the ring of smoke which floated in the still air. A smile played on his lips, but his eyes were grave. Then he looked at the captain. There was in his gross obesity something extraordinarily repellent. He had the plethoric self-satisfaction of the very fat. It was an outrage. It set Nelson’s nerves on edge. But the contrast between the man before him and the man he had in mind was pleasant.
"It appears that Red was the most comely thing you ever saw. I’ve talked to quite a number of people who knew him in those days, white men, and they all agree that the first time you saw him his beauty just took your breath away. They called him Red on account of his flaming hair. It had a natural wave and he wore it long. It must have been of that wonderful colour that the pre-Raphaelites raved over. I don’t think he was vain of it, he was much too ingenuous for that, but no one could have blamed him if he had been. He was tall, six feet and an inch or two — in the native house that used to stand here was the mark of his height cut with a knife on the central trunk that supported the roof — and he was made like a Greek god, broad in the shoulders and thin in the flanks; he was like Apollo, with just that soft roundness which Praxiteles gave him, and that suave, feminine grace which has in it something troubling and mysterious. His skin was dazzling white, milky, like satin; his skin was like a woman’s."
"I had kind of a white skin myself when I was a kiddie (/да/
But Neilson paid no attention to him (но Нилсон не обратил на него внимание). He was telling his story now (он сейчас рассказывал свою историю) and interruption made him impatient (и он не терпел заминок; to interrupt — обрывать; вмешиваться/в разговор и т. п./; to make — делать; impatient — нетерпеливый; нетерпимый).
"And his face was just as beautiful as his body (а лицо его было таким же красивым, как его тело). He had large blue eyes (у него были большие синие глаза), very dark (такие темные; very — очень), so that some say they were black (что некоторые /даже/ говорят, /что/ они были черными), and unlike most red-haired people (и в отличие от большинства рыжеволосых людей) he had dark eyebrows and long dark lashes (у него были темные брови и длинные темные ресницы). His features were perfectly regular (черты его лица были безукоризненно правильными) and his mouth was like a scarlet wound (а его рот был словно алая рана). He was twenty (ему было двадцать /лет/)."
On these words the Swede stopped with a certain sense of the dramatic (при этих словах швед сделал определенно драматическую паузу; to stop— останавливаться;certain— определенный; некий;sense— чувство; смысл). He took a sip of whisky (он сделал маленький глоток виски).
"He was unique (он был единственным в своем роде). There never was anyone more beautiful (никогда /не/ было человека: «кого-нибудь» красивее /его/). There was no more reason for him (для его появления: «для него» было не больше основания) than for a wonderful blossom to flower on a wild plant (чем для прекрасного цветка появиться: «расцвести» на дикорастущем растении). He was a happy accident of nature (он был счастливой случайностью природы).
interruption ["Intq`rApS(q)n], impatient [Im`peIS(q)nt], unique [jH`nJk]
"I had kind of a white skin myself when I was a kiddie," said the skipper, with a twinkle in his bloodshot eyes.
But Neilson paid no attention to him. He was telling his story now and interruption made him impatient.
"And his face was just as beautiful as his body. He had large blue eyes, very dark, so that some say they were black, and unlike most red-haired people he had dark eyebrows and long dark lashes. His features were perfectly regular and his mouth was like a scarlet wound. He was twenty."